1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a lawn and leaf bag holder for insertion into the open mouth of a standard size plastic lawn or leaf bag for maintaining the bag mouth open during collection of leaves and other lawn debris therein. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lawn and leaf bag holder of one piece, wire rod construction and including a triangular frame and a handle extending upwardly from an apex of the triangular frame to form a handle for the bag holder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Large plastic bags are frequently used for receiving leaves, grass clippings and other lawn debris. Such plastic bags are available in most retail outlets and are typically of standard dimension. However, it is difficult to maintain the open end of such bags in an open position to enable the leaves and other material to be gathered therein. Bag holders have been provided generally in the form of a frame inserted into or engaged with the mouth of a large flexible bag in order to hold the mouth of the bag open to facilitate placement of material into the bag. The following U.S. patents known to Applicant relate to bag holders of the type discussed above:
The above patents disclose bag holders with a frame supporting the mouth of a flexible bag which include various adjustable or movable components which require manipulation in order to effectively connect the bag to the holder to retain the bag mouth in open position in a generally vertical plane. However, the prior art fails to provide a bag holder of one piece construction without any movable or adjustable components that require manipulation by the user and can be readily installed to maintain the bag mouth open and is convenient to use during bag filling.
In order to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, the lawn and leaf bag holder of the present invention is constructed from a single piece of substantially rigid wire rod that is bent to provide an open triangular frame and a straight, laterally extending handle at one apex thereof with the handle being disposed in the same plane as the triangular frame. The triangular frame is sized so that the open mouth of a standard flexible plastic lawn and leaf bag can be stretched or tensioned around the outer surface of the triangular frame to define a triangular opening for the bag. One segment of the triangular frame is designed to be positioned against or adjacent a ground surface while the other two sides are equal in length and the handle extends from the apex. This arrangement enables leaves, lawn debris and the like to be easily raked or swept into the open end of the bag while the frame and the open end of the bag are oriented in a vertical plane by a user grasping the handle.
The handle enables a user to hold the triangular frame in a vertical position to maintain the open mouth of the bag in a vertical position with one hand grasping the handle and the other hand being used to sweep or rake material into the open mouth of the bag. The handle also enables the bag to be quickly moved to new positions as required.
The terminal ends of the one piece wire forming the bag holder terminate in loops located and welded adjacent the juncture between the triangular frame apex and the handle. The loops are configured to each extend laterally in an inclined relation to the handle on opposite sides of the handle and frame to define included angles for anchoring the bag open mouth. This symmetrical arrangement allows the frame to neatly finish off the ends of the single rigid wire rod and permits the frame to be positioned in the open mouth of the plastic bag and the plastic bag to be stretched and secured to the frame by engaging one of the loops regardless of which side of the frame faces outwardly from the bag mouth.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a lawn and leaf bag holder of one piece, rigid wire rod construction forming a triangular frame and a handle extending from one apex of the triangular frame and in the same plane as the triangular frame.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bag holder of rigid wire rod construction as set forth in the preceding object in which the triangular frame defines an isosceles triangle having an elongated straight base segment or section that can rest against the ground with the triangular frame and handle extending upwardly therefrom being maintained generally in a vertical position while material is being swept or raked into the open end of the bag through the opening defined by the triangular frame.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag holder in accordance with the preceding objects in which the terminal ends of the one piece bag holder have laterally inclined loops formed thereon. The loops extend laterally and upwardly from opposite sides of the handle adjacent the apex of the triangular frame from which the handle extends. Portions of the handle adjacent the loops are welded in a manner to rigidly connect the terminal ends of the one piece wire rod to the handle adjacent the apex of the frame to form a rigid, generally planar bag holder which will have no exposed sharp ends.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a lawn and leaf bag holder in accordance with the preceding objects in which the one piece wire rod construction includes a double wire handle in the same plane as the triangular frame with the length of the handle being substantially longer than the vertical height of the triangular frame thereby enabling a person to grasp the handle and effectively utilize the holder while in a substantially erect position and enabling manipulation of the holder and bag when moving the holder and bag to different locations as may be required.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a lawn and leaf bag holder in accordance with the preceding objects in which the one piece construction enables connection of the bag to the holder without manipulating any manually controllable clamps, adjustments and the like thereby rendering the holder easy to use on either side and less likely that separate components could become misplaced.
Yet another object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a lawn and leaf bag holder in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.